Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

I don't read a lot of nonfiction so it has to be pretty good to hold my interest all the way through. I was disappointed when this book ended. I have since purchased several copies to loan out to friends and family with an enthusiastic recommendation. Although the subject matter may seem a bit gruesome, just as it starts to get gross the author manages to shift gears. Her style is very cheeky and keeps a heavy subject matter as light as it could be. The reader is also excellent as she clearly connected with the writing style.

Funny, reverent and highly accessible. Despite the seemingly gruesome nature of the material, Roach does a phenomenal job making it palatable and entertaining while remaining respectful.

The first half of the book was hilarious and interesting. The second half got a bit slow, but still was worth finishing.

I tried & tried but just couldn't get into it. I listened to the first 5 Cd's & finally gave up. A full book about cadavers was more than I could endure.

Great book, OK, a couple of times i wondered what the heck am i listening to, but just then the author would explain why she was going there, and i just followed and enjoyed. Very informative and entertaining. Go for it,,,

This is one of the strangest books I've ever read. If you're not interested in what happens to bodies donated to science (in all gory detail), then this one's not for you. The author takes you on a tour of the "secret world of cadavers." A world that she compares to a cruise ship - lots of bodies lying around doing nothing! Written in an engaging style, the book is filled with anecdotes about the history of research on cadavers. Believe me, if you're the least bit morbidly curious, you'll love this one!

Good reading for the curious. Is it morbid or nasty to read? The author's tone ensures that it is easy-to-listen-to.

Well done and entertaining.

Wonderfully entertaining

Mary Roach has written a masterpiece! A semi-serious topic with a humerus (haha) side - I laughed out loud (which had more than one person regretting asking me what I was laughing about...). If you're on the squeamish side, this book may not be for you. Mary brings us through the history of cadaver use. Discusses the rather grotesque past (and perhaps current) use of body parts. Offers recipes (please don't try these in my kitchen), and even discusses religious aspects of cadaver use. All the thumbs up.

I've been meaning to read this book for a long time. It's a fascinating look at all the things that happen to the human body after we die and all the odd and sometimes disgusting things that have been done to and with human corpses. The narrator was pitch perfect for the content--her dry, sarcastic tone was delightful.

I must give 5 stars...This book was recommended to my nursing class by the instructor. I have the hard copy and am now downloading the audio. I loved reading the book twice! The author was quite funny, I hope the narrator's going to be good at capturing her unique humor.

Okay, this wasn't the best book about death or forensics (if you want that go with Michael Baden's Unnatural Death), although it had a smattering of both. However, this was an interesting read complete with body liquifying, dead head plastic surgery, 1001 cadaver uses and even body mulching. The occasional puns mostly bring chuckles if not belly laughs. What Mary Roach does best is put a perspective on cadavers as what they are. Dead tissue. She makes a good, if not strong, case for the use of cadavers in experimentation and testing elements that might benefit those of us left behind. If she's true to her word, she'll offer up her corpse when she's gone. Indicating in the very least that she believes in what she's sharing. The narration was captivating and spot on.

This was so great I listened to it twice, really well written, great story line and so many great tid bits of information. I just loved it.

Iinteresting tidbits at times, but overall----somewhat boring. I only listened to the first cd.

The first audiobook that has disappointed. Unpleasant and uninformative--though I gave up pretty quickly I thought it would be about science, forensic medicine, medical history, and instead we get the author's inane and shallow commentary.